So, the big news is that the Chinatown field trip has been rescheduled for this Monday, December 15th! Students should come to school on that day dressed appropriately for the weather and wearing comfortable shoes for walking. They can bring $5.00 for a small souvenir or to buy a treat at a bakery. They must bring a treenut-free (peanuts and peanut butter are OK) bagged lunch and a drink because we will be eating lunch in the classroom when we return. Thank you to everyone for their flexibility with scheduling. I'm sure it's going to be a great day!

Our Writer's Workshop has been humming! We have been writing a narrative about a time we had an adventure outside. We have worked together to complete each step, just as we did with expository writing. We have analyzed descriptions, learned to stretch out a scene with sensory details, and written main events with a mixture of action, description, thoughts and dialogue. We are now putting all the parts together into a complete story.

We are in the midst of an author study about Chris Van Allsburg! We have investigated his very informative website, read a few of his books and listened to others read aloud. We have discussed which parts of his books are realistic and which are fantasy and written summaries.

Students learned two ways to multiply larger numbers this week; partial products and the traditional method. Now that we have practiced both algorithms, they can choose one way to master and the other can stay "in their back pocket" to use as a backup or to check their work. Thank you to Mrs. Burns and Mrs. Panuschka-Botelho for helping with math games today!

In science, we are now studying electrical circuits. The first challenge involved lighting a bulb with just a wire and a D-cell battery. This was a test perseverance but the 4M Smarties did it!

Reports cards are going home today. Please let me know if you have any questions. Yellow envelopes should be signed and returned on Monday.

****We will make a winter craft on Monday, December 22nd. Please write in the comment section below if you can send in a treat, napkins, cups, drinks, etc.****

Ask a 4th Grader!* What the purpose of narrative writing?* How do you light a bulb with a wire and battery?* What did you learn about Chris Van Allsburg? * Which method do you prefer to use when multiplying large numbers?